Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 13

"Okay lets move, we haven't got time to check out these last few passenger cars, Wolfe's army could be here any second" I say as I help her to her feet.

We make our way out of the train and glance around for the injured mutt but it's nowhere to be seen. I order the squad to form up for our hike back to the extraction point. This time Gale will have to scout ahead with Steph as Johanna is in no condition to fight effectively. We make our way across the massive crash site but as we reach the shelter of the forest I hear Joel's motion sensor ticking on his belt, he stops and looks at the screen and the colour drains from his face.

"Where from Joel?" I ask.

"Behind us, from the other side of the train" I grab his arm and pull him with me as I run toward the cover of the trees. The rest of the squad are already safely hidden in the forest when we sense a bright light eminating from behind us and I know exactly what is happening. I order the squad to take cover and call Pollux and Cressida over.

"Pollux, I need you to film this"

As we watch I see that same bright ball of light that I last saw in the forest all those months ago back in District 3.
It seems to be emanating from near the wrecked tracks and for the first time I see it in more detail than I ever did before. It almost looks like a perfect sphere about 10 feet in diameter and its  bright glow hurts my eyes to look at it. A group of four hooded soldiers with rifles walk out from the light followed by Wolfe and another young man who I've never seen before. In a matter of seconds the light sphere shrinks in size until it disappears leaving just Wolfe, this new guy and their security. We retreat more into cover as we watch Wolfe examine the wreckage, looking through containers and stepping through the passenger cars. I'm about to order the squad to attack when the mutt army arrives stepping round the wrecked rail cars and standing guard around Wolfe and his new friend. If only I had a sniper rifle with me, I could end this war right now. I can hear the whirring of Pollux's camera as he films Wolfe's tour of the area. I look at this new guy walking around, following Wolfe like some obedient puppy. He's of a similar height to Wolfe, with dark hair, dressed in a grey suit, crisp white shirt and a black leather jacket to keep out the cold. I can feel my anger building at our inability to end Wolfe's life here and now. He's just there, a few hundred metres away and I can do nothing. I order the rest of the squad to head off toward our extraction point and I stand to follow but as I look round I see Wolfe walking in my direction lost in conversation with his new friend. His hooded security guards follow him and a group of around a dozen mutts form a moving perimeter. I instinctively pull an arrow from my sheath string it, and take aim. He's not in range, not yet. I watch as he gets closer, looking around the area, waving his hands and pointing at different items in the wreckage.
This is it I think to myself, I pull back my string, hearing it creak under the strain. I'm about to release it when the new wounded mutt from the train stumbles from the woods and staggers up to Wolfe and his new comrade. I still can't believe what I'm seeing with this new mutt Wolfe has created. At this distance I can get a better idea of its size, it really is similar to Peeta in every way. It's height, stocky build and looks all match Peeta. It's just the scaly green skin that's different. I watch in shock as the mutt appears to be in conversation with Wolfe! I pull back the string as far as it can go, aim a little higher and let my arrow fly straight at Wolfe's head now no more than 100 metres away. Before it's even covered half the distance I know it's on target and for an instant I feel a sense of hope that this is all about to be over. But, without even looking the mutt sticks it's hand out grabbing my arrow whilst it's still in flight, stopping it just inches from Wolfe's face. I drop my aim for a second then string another and shoot, then again and again. Each time it just plucks my arrows out of thin air with lightning reflexes. I give up and lower my bow and start to back away deeper into the forest. Wolfe, his friend and the mutt all turn toward my position but I'm already starting to run after the rest of the squad which now has a good head start. As I run I hear branches breaking far behind me and I know that the mutts are in pursuit trying to catch us. I order the squad to draw weapons to defend ourselves as we make our way back toward the river and hopefully Alek.